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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24767773">rocket man burning out his fuse up there alone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/d4redevils/pseuds/d4redevils'>d4redevils</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/underwhomst/pseuds/underwhomst'>underwhomst</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Sleep - Stephen King, IT - Stephen King, Misery - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Almost death, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Space AU, This Is Incredibly Self Indulgent, can this be considered slow burn?, no shining au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:27:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,197</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24767773</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/d4redevils/pseuds/d4redevils, https://archiveofourown.org/users/underwhomst/pseuds/underwhomst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Commander Paul Sheldon has been stuck on a space station by himself for months with no contact with ground control. Dan Torrance is just a guy playing with his radio set.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Paul Sheldon/Dan "Danny" Torrance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>rocket man burning out his fuse up there alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i would never have been able to write this fic without underwhomst who helped write some of the passages so a huge thanks to him!! also i dedicate this fic to azzie nation and elton john &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Entry #41: It’s been a month since I’ve lost communications with ground control and eight months since I’ve been up here. I gotta say, at least there’s a nice view. Eddie called me crazy when he saw the amount of books I brought with me,[chuckles] but I guess those are going to come in handy if I’ve got nothing else to do. I’ll keep tinkering with the comm-link and hope I can breakthrough but something tells me it’s gonna be a while until I hear from ground control.</p><p>Entry #63: If my mother sat me down as a kid and told me “Paulie, you’re going to end up stuck in space one day”, I would have laughed in her face. I don’t think I regret what led me here, but being stuck in the vast unknown isn’t something I’m particularly pleased about. There were glow in the dark stars on my ceiling in my childhood room. I wonder if they're still there. Going to space was my dream; I wanted nothing more in the world. Now? If I have to look at another star I think I’m going to be sick.</p><p>Entry #97: Water is something humans take for granted I think. And I don’t mean drinking water—though, that’s important too. I mean large bodies of water. The ocean is kinda like space when you think about it. The endlessness of it. The unknown. My mother used to take me to the beach when I was little, and I remember her lecturing me about riptides. The thought that the calmest waters are the ones that can swallow you up [pause] well that’s terrifying I think. </p><p>Entry #138: It’s been a little over a year now. Some days feel longer than others. If it weren’t for these weekly journal entries I probably would have lost track of time. I do a lot of thinking—there’s really not much else to do—and I’m starting to wonder if I’ll touch the ground ever again. Do they think of me up here? I think of everyone back home frequently, but I find my memories of people are getting hazy. I can’t think of faces like I used to. </p><p>My diagnostics tell me communications are running fine from my end, so I don’t understand why ground control hasn’t made contact. The not knowing puts me on edge. Something must have happened, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what.</p><p>Entry #145: I miss music. When I was back on Earth I would go to concerts whenever I could, even if I didn’t know who was playing. It’s amazing how we can put so much emotion and turn it into somethi— [Static. A new voice.]</p><p>?: Hello? Is anyone there?</p><p>[A crash from something being knocked over. The clatter of the radio being picked up]</p><p>Paul: [Frantic] Ground control?! This is Commander Paul Sheldon, I—</p><p>?: Ground control? You must be mistaken, I’m just a guy playing on his radio set. Wait— did you say Commander? Are you like a pilot or something?</p><p>[A sigh. A bang from the wall being kicked.]</p><p>Paul: [Resigned] Or something. How did you make contact with this station?</p><p>?: I wish I could tell you, but I don’t really know. I was just turning some knobs on my receiver and messing around until the static went away.</p><p>Paul: I see.</p><p>?: I’m Dan by the way. Dan Torrance. </p><p>Paul: Making friends with the stranger on the radio?</p><p>Dan: [A laugh.] Sure, why not?</p><p>Paul: [A quiet chuckle.] I’m Paul Sheldon.</p><p>Dan: Well, Paul Sheldon, what are you doing on a radio set at this hour?</p><p>Paul: Would you believe me if I said I was in space?</p><p>Dan: You’re kidding me.</p><p>Paul: I wish I was. I’ve been stuck here for two and a half years now.</p><p>Dan. [A long whistle.] Shit.</p><p>Paul: [Laughs] Yeah, you’re the first person to make contact with me in a while. </p><p>Dan: Well today must be your lucky day Paul Sheldon, because I myself am lonely and have way too much time on my hands.</p><p>-</p><p>Paul: [Laughing] I’m just saying! Objectively Star Trek is a better franchise than Star Wars and by the way, I can’t believe you haven’t actually seen a Star Trek movie.</p><p>Dan: Well excuse me, Mr. Space Man, we can’t all live out our favorite movies. </p><p>Paul: Star Trek isn’t the reason I wanted to become an astronaut you know.</p><p>Dan: Oh really? Well, care to enlighten me?</p><p>Paul: What, you in for a story?</p><p>Dan: Does it look like I’m going anywhere? </p><p>Paul: [Chuckles] Fair enough. When I was little my father gave me a telescope, and I would sit in our backyard looking up at the stars. I guess you could say it was love at first sight.<br/>
Dan: Huh. Do you have a favorite?</p><p>Paul: Star?</p><p>Dan: Sure. Star, constellation, whatever.</p><p>Paul: Yeah, actually. Betelgeuse. It’s in Orion, but that’s not my favorite constellation. That’s Ursa Major.</p><p>Dan: [A quiet, gentle laugh.] You probably know the names of all of the stars, don’t you?</p><p>Paul: No, not all of them, but enough.<br/>
-</p><p>Dan: Hey Paulie.</p><p>Paul: [Amused] We’re close enough for nicknames now? What is it?</p><p>Dan: Shut up, you love it. [Brief pause] What do you want to eat the most when you get back, man, must suck all that dry food. </p><p>Paul: [Surprised laughter] Where the hell did that come from?</p><p>Dan: It’s not a weird question to ask your space pen pal if he misses actual food!</p><p>Paul: [Settling down] No, I suppose not. Just didn’t expect that. I miss… anything that isn’t textured liked dehydrated chalk. </p><p>Dan: Oh, come on! A real answer wouldn’t hurt ya!</p><p>Paul: Guess you’ll just have to wait on it then. Ask me later, Torrance.<br/>
-<br/>
Paul: Tell me something.</p><p>Dan: Well, did you know that—<br/>
Paul: No, not like a random fact. Tell me something about yourself.</p><p>Dan: There isn’t much to tell.</p><p>Paul: Anything, just humor me.</p><p>Dan: Well, I live by myself.</p><p>Paul: Do you get lonely?</p><p>Dan: Yeah, I do. I suppose I have friends so I’m not completely alone, but still. It’s just me most of the time.</p><p>Paul: What about family?</p><p>Dan: [A pause.] I don’t really have any. They’re all gone now.</p><p>Paul: Oh. [Pause] Can I ask what happened? </p><p>Dan: Yeah, uh, I don’t really know where to start. My dad, he wasn’t really the best so my mom and I ended up leaving him when I was 5. My mom, well, she passed some years back. </p><p>Paul: I don’t know what to say.</p><p>Dan: That’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. It’s in the past now.</p><p>Paul: Tell me something else?</p><p>Dan: I live out in the country. There’s a huge meadow with flowers and at night you can see the stars so clearly it’s like you’re with them. You’d like it I think.</p><p>Paul: Maybe someday I’ll visit you.</p><p>Dan: I’d like that.<br/>
-</p><p>Dan: [Exaggerated enthusiasm] Rise and shine, the sun is rising!</p><p>Paul: [Dryly but amused] For you, maybe. I’ve been up for about three of your Earth-man hours. </p><p>Dan: Jesus, doing what?</p><p>Paul: In case you forgot, I live on a space station. In space. Alone. </p><p>Dan: Fine, whatever, message received Commander. </p><p>Paul: I like Paulie more, actually. </p><p>Dan: [Stunned pause] Paulie it is. What have you been up to then? Just routine?</p><p>Paul: Yeah, making sure everything still works so I don’t die. The important things. </p><p>Dan: Ah, the essentials. </p><p>Paul: Mhm. It also keeps me from losing my damn mind up here— [cuts off suddenly]</p><p>Dan: Paul? </p><p>[A faint crackling and snapping.]</p><p>Paul: [Distracted] Hold on, something’s up. Something’s not right. </p><p>Dan: I can hear you clunking around, what’s—?</p><p>Paul: [Yelping] Fuck! Station’s on fire, looks electric. </p><p>Dan: Shit! Be careful. Try putting it out with a jacket? </p><p>Paul: [Shouting] I got it under control! Don’t worry about me!</p><p>[Clatter of things being knocked around, and occasional yelps and whimpers from Paul.]</p><p>[Silence.]</p><p>Dan: Paul?</p><p>[Heavy breathing]</p><p>Dan: Paulie, you there?</p><p>Paul: [Broken whimpering] Yeah I’m—[Quietly] shit!—I’m fine. It’s okay I got the fire.</p><p>Dan: Jeez Paul, you don’t sound too good.</p><p>Paul: [Deadpan] Gee, thanks.</p><p>Dan: [Stern.] Paul.</p><p>Paul: My hands, they got burnt. It’s not bad but it hurts like a bitch. </p><p>Dan: Are you—?</p><p>Paul: I’ll be okay.<br/>
-</p><p>Paul: [Soft] Hey, Dan, are you awake?</p><p>Dan: Yeah, is everything okay?</p><p>Paul: I couldn’t sleep.</p><p>Dan: Me neither. Is something on your mind?</p><p>Paul: [Pause] Do you think they’ll come get me?</p><p>Dan: Paul…</p><p>Paul: I used to think I would be up here forever. That I’d die up here. But then you came along, and I guess you gave me hope? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being a wishful thinker, but I figured if you found me, maybe the control crew will too.</p><p>Dan: I don’t know Paul. Hopefully they will come to get you, but I don’t want to give you false hope.</p><p>Paul: I know. </p><p>Dan: What space center employed you? Maybe I can do some research.</p><p>Paul: Wait, you’d do that? Dan I can’t thank you enough, holy shit. I worked with the Chastain Space Center located in Sidewinder, Colorado. </p><p>[The scratch of pen on paper]</p><p>Dan: I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can do.</p><p>Paul: [Quietly] Thank you.<br/>
-</p><p>[A newspaper clipping from the desk of Daniel Torrance]<br/>
FIRE BURNS DOWN CHASTAIN SPACE CENTER: CAUSE UNKNOWN.<br/>
Bill Denbrough<br/>
11/28/2016</p><p>Sidewinder fire department reports deadliest fire in the last decade. There were no recorded survivors and all work within the center has been lost. Authorities are currently investigating the state of astronaut Paul Sheldon and whether or not it is possible to bring him down. As of now, the consensus is that he may be lost.<br/>
-</p><p>Dan: Hey.</p><p>Paul: Hey. Any luck?</p><p>Dan: [Hesitant pause, then silence]</p><p>Paul: Dan? [A little afraid] Did I lose you? Torrance. </p><p>Dan: No, I’m here. I’m still looking into it. How’re the hands?</p><p>Paul: A week healed. I’m lucky they’re minor, or I’d really be in trouble up here. [Nervous chuckle] Wouldn’t be able to maintain shit if I had it any worse.</p><p>Dan: I’m glad you’re okay. </p><p>Paul: [Strangely] You say that like I wouldn’t be.</p><p>Dan: Well, I mean, it was a fire. It could’ve been worse, and I’m glad it wasn’t </p><p>Paul: [Unconvinced] Right. Sure. </p><p>-<br/>
Paul: [Faint. Panicked.] Shit! This can’t be happening!</p><p>Dan: [Worried] Paul? What’s going on?</p><p>Paul: My diagnostic visuals— they’re fried! I could be running out of electricity or water or oxygen or any-fucking-thing and I wouldn’t be able to tell! God dammit.</p><p>Dan: Hey, calm down.</p><p>Paul: You cannot tell me to fucking calm down Daniel. I could be dying and I won’t know! This is bad. This is really bad.</p><p>Dan: I know, but panicking is just going to make things worse. </p><p>[Pause.]</p><p>Dan: Paul?</p><p>Paul: Fuck. You’re right. I’m sorry.</p><p>Dan: It’s okay, I would have lashed out too if I was in your position. Do you think there’s anything you can do to fix it?</p><p>Paul: I don’t know. Honestly? I don’t think so.<br/>
-</p><p>Paul: You’re hiding something from me</p><p>Dan: What? No, I—</p><p>Paul: Don’t bullshit me Dan, what is it? Whatever it is I can take it </p><p>Dan: [Sighs. Resigned.] It’s bad Paul. I’m sorry.</p><p>Paul: What—?</p><p>Dan: There was a fire, nobody knows how it started. The space center—it’s gone. No survivors.</p><p>[Silence.]</p><p>[Choked sobs.]</p><p>Dan: Paul? [Pause.] Paulie?</p><p>[Click. Static.]<br/>
-</p><p>A trembling finger pressed dial on the phone. “Hello? Is this Bill Denbrough from the Sidewinder News? … Great. My name is Daniel Torrance, I have some information regarding the missing astronaut Paul Sheldon. … You can? That’s amazing. Thank you so much. … Okay. I’ll meet you there.”<br/>
-<br/>
[Click.]</p><p>Paul: Dan…?</p><p>[Silence]<br/>
-<br/>
Dan set the mug of coffee down on the table, looking at the group in front of him with tired eyes. “Are you sure you can get him down?”</p><p>A man sitting across from Dan—Billy?—spoke up, “Well, we’re sure we can try. There’s a control center in Boulder, if they can make contact with Commander Sheldon and get his coordinates, we’ll do our best to fly out and grab him.”</p><p>Numbly, Dan nodded. He knew the chances were becoming slimmer, but he refused to give up hope.<br/>
-<br/>
[Muffled crying.]</p><p>Dan: Paulie?</p><p>Paul: Dan! Where were you?! I thought— I thought you…</p><p>Dan: I’m sorry Paul, it’s okay I’m here now.</p><p>Paul: Dan, I don’t think I have much time left.</p><p>Dan: [Pause. Quietly] What?</p><p>Paul: I can feel the oxygen levels getting lower. It’s like I’m back in the mountains.</p><p>Dan: [A choked back sob] No, Paul. Don’t say that please.</p><p>Paul: I’m sorry.</p><p>Dan: Do you wanna know why I left? What I was doing?</p><p>[Silence]</p><p>Dan: I made a couple calls to the right people and it’s all gonna be okay Paulie. There’s another space center—they’re gonna get you down Paul. They’re working on it right now as we speak. You’re coming home Paulie.</p><p>Paul: Dan?</p><p>Dan: Yeah?</p><p>Paul: Stay with me?</p><p>Dan: Of course. I’m not going anywhere.<br/>
-<br/>
The pounding in his head increased with every labored breath. It was getting harder to keep his eyes open, and he knew he was getting close to reaching the end. He hasn’t said a word in hours—maybe days—in an attempt to preserve oxygen. Faintly, he could hear the sound of Dan’s voice rambling about something that didn’t matter now.</p><p>Weakly, Paul spoke into his radio, “Hey Torrance?”</p><p>“Christ, hi Paul you scared me, you were quiet for so long.” He sounded breathless.</p><p>A weak chuckle escaped Pauls lips. "Sorry. Just... I can't breathe too good. But... I'm glad I met you."</p><p>"Hey hey, don't fade out on me, Paulie, help is coming just hold on."</p><p>"I don't... know if I'll make it, but Dan I just wanna say.. I wanna say. I love you"</p><p> </p><p>Then everything went black.<br/>
-<br/>
There’s something Paul can remember from childhood. In its entirety, it probably means nothing, but right now— as a man on the brink of certain death— it feels like it is everything. </p><p>It’s something his camp counsellor wore like a mantra. It’s the Can you? of a story. And this might not be much of a story, but hell, if Paul isn’t clinging to it like he’s clinging to life. In Can you? realism didn’t matter, fairness did, and Paul knew realistically that he wasn’t going to live. </p><p>But faintly he could hear… something. It sounded like the hiss of an airlock, a pair of boots clipping the sterile tile, and static. There was so much static, Paul couldn’t tell if it was electrical or his delirious, oxygen-deprived body. </p><p>There’s a faint squeak of rubber from next to him, then a touch of pressure under the arms of his suit as some force lifts him up. Paul’s too weak to do much else than exist. This must be it, he muses to himself, the angel of death is here to end my slow suffocation alone in the middle of space and grant me mercy. He’s taking me away.</p><p>As a cold intake of fresh oxygen barely registers to his system as real, Paul finds himself grateful his last words were “I love you.”<br/>
-<br/>
His eyes opened slowly, and quickly closed again when he was greeted with blinding white. Trying again, his eyes were able to adjust if he squinted and took everything little by little. Panic began to surge through him with the realization that he didn’t know where he was. He whipped his head to the side to see an IV stand and screens displaying his vitals. </p><p>...A hospital? Yes. Paul was in a hospital. Waves of emotions wracked his body, the primary one being relief. Dan did it, he was back on Earth. He was alive. </p><p>Dan.</p><p>Paul tried sitting up, but was too weak to move his arms. Turning his head, he saw a slumped figure asleep in one of the guest chairs. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a nurse entering the room. </p><p>The nurse shook the slumped man, waking him up. “Huh?” He mumbled groggily.</p><p>“Mr. Torrance, I’m afraid you need to step out of the room,” She said gently.</p><p>Torrance. Dan! </p><p>“No.” Paul groaned. His voice was raspy with a tinge of desperation. “Let him stay. Please.”</p><p>The nurse looked at Paul with surprise, but allowed Dan to stay nonetheless. She explained to Paul what had happened to his body when he passed out from lack of oxygen, and what steps he will need to take to recover. When she finished, she left the room leaving Dan and Paul alone. </p><p>Dan rushed to Paul’s bedside, clutching his hand. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. “Paul...I was so scared I lost you.”</p><p>“I know Dan, I’m okay now though.” Paul looked up at him, smiling weakly. His eyes were full of love. “You saved me.”</p><p>“Paul, what you said back on the station...did you mean it?”</p><p>“I did,” Paul nodded. </p><p>The next thing he knew was that Dan’s lips were on his. The kiss was gentle and over just as quick as it started. Paul’s hands were quivering with the effort to bring them to Dan’s neck, bringing their foreheads together.</p><p>“I love you too.” Dan whispers. There are tears in the corners of his eyes. Paul’s own eyes mist over, and he clutches tightly at the back of his neck, fingers tangling in Dan’s uncut hair.</p><p>“Take me home?” He wanted to see the fields. He wanted to see everything Dan told him when he was miles above Earth. </p><p>“Of course,” Dan said with a watery smile. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”<br/>
-<br/>
Paul got out of the truck slowly. Partially because he was still healing, but also because he wanted to appreciate Earth as much as he could. With closed eyes, he raised his head to the sky, feeling the warmth of the sun kiss him gently. His nose stung with the sharp air entering his airways, but he wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything in the world.</p><p>A couple seconds passed before he opened his eyes, turning to look at Dan on the other side of his truck. Paul smiled, making his way over to him. “So this is it huh?” His eyes fell upon the small house they had parked in front of.</p><p>“This is indeed it,” A grin spread across Dan’s face. He wrapped an arm around Paul’s waist.</p><p>“You weren’t kidding when you said you lived in the middle of nowhere.”</p><p>Dan threw his head back with a laugh. “No, I wasn’t.”</p><p>Paul scanned the surrounding land, still processing that he was back on the ground. Part of him was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would be back on the space station when he opened them. He shoved that thought away, and looked down at Dan with a grin.</p><p>“Welcome home, Paul.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you so much for reading! comments are very appreciated! if you liked this fic maybe follow us on twitter @SKYS0L0S and @underwhomst</p></blockquote></div></div>
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